This invention pertains to a fishing lure storage and transportation structure having a unique arrangement of elements including a unitary lure storage core removably positioned within a portable container to provide individualized storage for fishing lures and which utilizes two different types of drying systems for drying the lures. In addition to the lures being individually suspended in order to drip dry, there is also a thermo-siphoning action whereby air is caused to circulate through the portable container and trapped moisture is vented to the atmosphere.
A commonly-used structure for storing of fishing lures is a tray-style tackle box having a plurality of hinged trays which can be moved to positions outside of the box. The tray-style tackle box is bulky when open, takes up too much boat space, and tends to become top heavy and tip over very easily when in use. Additional problems are the inability of the openings in the trays to hold all of the various sizes and shapes of fishing lures used today as well as the tendency of tackle box structure, such as latches, hinges and handles, to break after a fairly short period of use. The fishing lure collection stored in the tackle box cannot be washed down, which is important after fishing in salt water, and a wet fishing lure can rust, corrode or rot, when stored, because of no air circulation and trapped moisture within the tackle box.
It is also known to use a Styrofoam cooler, which has many of the disadvantages of the tray-style tackle box set forth in the preceding paragraph. The Styrofoam cooler tends to break and is too light in weight to be steady at high boat speeds and when fishing in wind and choppy water. Of major importance is the lack of any air circulation inside the Styrofoam cooler to avoid trapped moisture.
There are other tackle boxes that have been used by fishermen, including the loose positioning of tubes or pipes in a portable container. However, none are known which provide for individualized storage of the fishing lures in a removable unitary lure storage case within a portable container and, more particularly, with provision for washing off the lures and with drying thereof achieved by both a drip dry capability as well as an air circulation drying achieved by an induced air circulation within the container.